


Funny How Love Is

by jostardust



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkwardness, First concert, Flirty Freddie, Fluff and Smut, Getting the Band Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Queen, Rated Explicit for upcoming chapters, Stressed Brian, University Students
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-06-02 18:35:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19447210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jostardust/pseuds/jostardust
Summary: Don't cry over spilled milk. Get a date over spilled milk.





	1. Lost in the Supermarket

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new bit of shitty writing! Title stolen from the Queen song obviously! Please do not send this to anyone associated with Queen, thanks!

"Rog, we're out of milk again!" Freddie's voice rang through the small flat the two of them shared.

"So?" his flatmate answered from his room, where he was laying on the bed, scrolling on his phone.

"It's your turn to go get groceries! I went last time." The older man had appeared in his door, holding an empty milk carton. "Also, you put it in the fridge with just a few drops left, again! As if I wouldn't notice it's empty you twat..."

Roger rolled his eyes, and slowly raised from his bed, unplugging his phone. "Alright...I was gonna go out for a smoke anyways..." he grumbled, grabbing his wallet, keys and headphones from his desk.

"Thank you darling!" Freddie shouted after him, as the younger man left the flat. Roger found himself shivering slightly as he walked down the street. He mentally scolded himself for not wearing a jacket, but luckily the shops weren't far away from the little apartment they shared. He plugged his headphones in, choosing to play some Beatles song, humming along to them ever so slightly. The shop was very empty as he arrived, since it was late in the afternoon and it wouldn't be open for much longer.

"Right...milk..." He mumbled to himself, heading for the dairy section. Roger grabbed a bottle, then headed over to the freezers to get himself and Freddie some frozen pizzas. He made a sharp turn around a corner, then suddenly found himself pressed against someone, but before he could properly register that, he was on the floor, his arse now oddly wet.

"Oh shit, I'm so so sorry." The person standing over him said. Roger could barely make out more than a tall, gangly shape, as the bright light from the overhead lightning always messed with his eyesight. A hand was stretched out towards him. He took it, letting himself be pulled up. However, just as he thought he was standing again, he slipped on the wet floor, tumbling right into the strangers' arms. The man held onto him with a firm grip, not pushing him away whatsoever, giving Roger time to stabilize himself. "Sorry..." he mumbled after finding his footing again, letting go. The blond looked down to see that his milk had burst open, as he had apparently dropped it when colliding with the stranger.

"I'm really sorry about that..." the stranger mumbled quietly, face all red. Roger could finally look at him properly. He was quite handsome, if you ignored the fact that he looked like he hadn't slept or eaten in days. He was very tall and skinny, all long limbs and sharp edges. His long and very curly hair was surrounding him like the most chaotic halo, his eyes had deep, dark circles under them, and his cheeks looked sunken in under his sharp cheekbones. A soft smile was grazing his lips, cheeks growing red as he noticed Roger unabashedly staring at him.

"Uhm..." Roger blinked. He noticed how close he was standing to the other man, took a step back and almost slipped again. Strong hands grasped him immediately, steadying him.

"Thanks..." he smiled, awkwardly. "I guess I'll get a new one then..." He mumbled, making his way through the puddle and back towards the dairy shelves. He felt his already tight trousers clinging to him, probably dripping milk. Roger almost felt the other man stare at him as he walked away, and made a point of swaying his skinny hips just a little more than he usually would. The young man got as far as the next row of shelves, as the stranger caught up to him and put a hand on his upper arm.

"Uhm, I really am sorry...could I maybe get you a coffee or something, to make up for...yknow..." he gestured at Roger's soaked trousers. Roger tried to make it look as though he was thinking about it, even though he'd known his answer before the other man had even finished his sentence. "Alright." He said. The stranger's face lit up for a second, before fishing his phone out of his pocket, giving it to Roger so he could put his number in. "I'm Brian, by the way." he said, as the younger man returned his phone. "Roger." "Alright...I'll text you soon, I have to go now though, my roommate is waiting for me." Brian said after looking at the time.

They parted ways, Roger still dripping milk all over the floor. He picked up another bottle and made his way to the checkout, too distracted to remember any of the other things he had wanted to buy. He walked home slowly, smoking a cigarette which had luckily not gotten soaked in milk, shivering decidedly more than he had previously, mostly because his damp trousers got freezing cold.

"What took you so long?" Freddie called as soon as he entered the door. "And why are you so wet?"

"Give me a second, I need to get changed." He disappeared into his room after putting the bottle in the fridge. He decided to hop in the shower too, to warm up a little, and caught himself thinking about the stranger. Thinking about the way his cheeks flushed when he was staring at those lips he now oh so desperately wanted to kiss. Roger felt himself slowly hardening under the spray of the shower, but stopped himself from touching. "You don't even know him yet, he could be straight and just overly friendly! Or secretly a complete asshole!" He thought to himself, but deep down he already knew Brian was neither. Suddenly, the water turned very cold and he shrieked. Climbing out of the shower as fast as possible, he grabbed a towel to dry himself. "Freddie! You could've told me that you showered earlier! Why'd you always use all the hot water, damnit!" He yelled.

"Because I love hearing that gorgeous falsetto of yours darling! You could make it big with that one day!" Roger rolled his eyes, quickly putting on some sweatpants and a t-shirt that he was sure definitely didn't belong to him.

Minutes later, he sunk down on the tiny couch, next to Freddie, a can of beer in his hand. "I bumped into this really cute guy at the shops..."

"AND?" Freddie looked suddenly very interested.

"Well, I fell into a puddle of milk, then into his arms, and now I guess I'll be meeting him for some coffee."

"Well if that isn't romantic...so what does he look like? I want to know everything!"

"Tall, impossibly curly hair, handsome, too." Freddie didn't look very impressed with that description. Before Roger could say anything more though, his phone buzzed.

_Hey Roger, are you free for some coffee anytime soon? :) - Bri_

Roger squealed, before Freddie snatched his phone from his hands. "He texts like my mum!" The younger man snorted, making grabby hands for his flatmate to return his phone.

_Tomorrow afternoon'd be perf! xx_

"Roger�, stop flirting! Maybe he just felt sorry for you!"

"Bullshit, you should've seen his face!" They exchanged a few more texts and arranged to meet the next day at the little coffee shop just around the corner from where they lived. Brian signed each of his texts off with a little "Bri", which Roger found oddly endearing and Freddie found quite hilarious. They both had a few more beers each, and as Roger finally curled up in his bed, he couldn't help but get just a little excited for the following day.


	2. Forty Cups Of Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the lovely comments I've already gotten!!! So since I've got nothing to do anyways, here's the next chapter! 
> 
> Chapter Title from the Bill Haley & His Comets song!

Roger woke up surprisingly early the next day. It was a Friday morning and he didn't have any classes that day, which usually meant he'd sleep in as long as humanly possible. Therefore he was quite annoyed when he checked his phone for the time and it was only shortly past eight. He lounged around for a while, reading the news on his phone, then got up to make himself and Freddie breakfast. His roommate did have classes that day, but they didn't start until ten, so he was probably still asleep. They didn't have much at home, but Roger managed to scratch a breakfast of eggs, toast, and tea together.  
"Wake up Fred, breakfast's ready!" He knocked at Freddie's door, who only responded with a groan. The younger man sat himself down at the table and begun sipping on his tea, knowing that Freddie would be out very soon.  
Indeed, his roommate stepped out of his room only a few minutes later, hair still sleep tousled and dressed only in a very shimmery dressing gown.   
"Mornin..." He groaned, only waking up a bit after he'd had his tea and was chewing on some egg. "So, excited for your little date?" Roger flushed, but he rolled his eyes.  
"It's not a date Fred, he's just buying me some coffee!"  
"You know exactly that it's a date blondie!"  
"Yes, yes, alright, it's a date... I guess."   
Freddie smiled widely, not even bothering to hide his teeth as he did in front of most people. They chatted for a bit until Freddie realized that he did indeed have somewhere to go, and had to be there in just over half an hour. He hurried through their little flat, brushing his teeth while trying to tame his long hair, smudging last night's eyeliner back into its place and threw on some clothes. Before hurrying out the door, he pressed a kiss to Roger's cheek.   
"Do tell me what happened as soon as you can, yeah?" Roger nodded and waved at Freddie as he closed the door.  
Now that he was alone, he felt his nerves flare up again. It was odd, he usually didn't get nervous before a date. Not that he actually went on many dates, he usually got his fill of romance while clubbing with Freddie. But this, this was different. Roger didn't quite understand why, but he could hardly wait to know more about the stranger.  
Deciding that it'd do him no good to be sitting and waiting for time to pass, he went out to the shops again, to actually buy some food this time. He returned with several frozen pizzas, lots of ramen packets (they were on sale, he couldn't help himself!), some cheese, toast and most importantly, a new bottle of whiskey and some beers. Setting everything aside, he looked at the clock. It was just past twelve, and he'd agreed to meet with Brian at two-thirty. So he forced himself to sit down and work on some university assignments, which all had a deadline drawing dangerously near.   
An hour and many deleted sentences later, he made himself some food, smoked another cigarette and took a shower. For once, there was enough hot water for him to actually enjoy it. The blond scrubbed himself thoroughly, making sure he was properly clean everywhere, just in case. He washed his hair with that one shampoo that was ridiculously expensive for what it was but made his hair smell and feel oh so nice. After blow-drying his hair to look as good as possible he started searching through his wardrobe.   
Roger shared most of his clothes with Freddie anyways, so he snuck over to steal that one almost-sheer shirt Freddie'd always wear if he had to impress someone. Throwing some very tight jeans and boots on as well, he looked at himself in the floor-length mirror. He shrugged at himself, before snapping a picture and sending it to Freddie.   
The other student replied within seconds, obviously not very interested in his class at the moment.

  
_Is that MY shirt Roger????!!!_   
_Just kidding - you look H O T_

  
Roger smiled at his phone and sent Freddie a row of hearts.  
He headed out the door, almost desperately sucking on a cigarette. Brian was already waiting outside when Roger arrived and smiled at him. He looked a lot better than he had yesterday as if he had a decent night's sleep and a meal. Apparently, however, he had tried to comb his hair, which resulted in it being even fluffier than it had been. "Hey, Bri!" Roger called out, smiling at the other man. The greeting was a bit awkward, as shaking hands felt a bit wrong, but anything more than that would have been odd. So they kept it at a smile and entered the little shop. Roger really loved it there. It was quite old, they usually had some rock n roll records playing and it was cheap enough for students. "You sit down, I'll get it. How'd you take your coffee?" Roger told him, and took a seat in one of the booths in the quieter corner, watching him as he ordered their coffees. He might've checked out his arse, but who wouldn't have done that, really!   
Brian returned with two steaming cups of coffee, putting them down carefully. "Consider this my official apology about yesterday." He smiled, showing off his pointy cuspids, which almost looked like little fangs (which Roger, as an ex-dental student, found quite endearing). "Apology accepted!" Roger grinned, taking one of the mugs.  
"So, Bri, what do you do?" He felt a bit lame for asking that, but you had to start with something!  
"Oh, I study astrophysics. It's always been a passion of mine...and I play some guitar, I used to be in a band until recently..." He drifted off, looking as if he wished he hadn't mentioned it. Roger's interest peaked at the mention of music.  
"How long have you been playing for? And why aren't you in that band anymore?"   
"I've been playing since I was about seven, and built my own guitar with my da when I was 16." He grinned, rubbing his neck awkwardly.  
"Quite a genius then! Astrophysics and building your own guitar! I'm impressed..."  
"Ah, well, I had some help..." He went quite red in the face, making Roger smile. "And about the band...well, I was in there because of my then-roommate and boyfriend. We broke up, he moved out and kicked me out of the band."  
"Oh...I'm sorry about that." He was indeed sorry and felt kind of bad for making Brian talk about it. But he couldn't surpress a little mental high-five about Brian being single.   
"Don't be, he was a bit of a prick anyways. And the band was no good either." He shrugged. "D'you play any instruments? You seem quite into music...wait, let me guess." He took a moment, observing how Roger's leg was bouncing ever so slightly to the quiet music that was playing in the café. "Drums?"  
The blond grinned. "You got it! And I sing, n play some guitar, though I'm sure I'm by far not as good as you are." Brian blushed.  
"I'm sure you're good! Maybe we should play together sometime?"  
"I'd love to! Actually, me and Freddie, my roommate, have been thinking about making some music together, and since you're currently bandless..." Roger hoped that he didn't go too far with that, but Brian's face lighting up made him forget his worries. Damn, that man really was gorgeous when he smiled.  
"I'd love to join you sometime! What does Freddie play?"  
"Oh, he's an amazing pianist, even though he thinks of himself as an amateur...bullshit if you ask me. Sings, too, and quite well if I say so myself!"  
Time flew by as the two of them chatted, drinking two more cups of coffee each until they were the only ones left in the café. "Well, yeah, my new roommate just moved in yesterday, which was the reason for me being so stressed...and uni, of course...his name's John, studies electrical engineering. Quite young too, only 19 I think. He does seem like a good roommate so far though."  
"Excuse me?" A voice called over from the coffee bar, a voice that definitely sounded annoyed.  
They both turned their heads to look at a young barista, who was clearly getting ready to clean up. "We're closing shortly." She said, with an annoyed look on her face. "We'll be out in a mo, Luv!" Roger said, with a wink, which earned him an exasperated sigh. They finished their last dregs of coffee and returned the mugs, then stepped outside.  
"So...thanks for the coffee," Roger said, shifting from one foot onto the other. "Text me when you've got time and we'll get together for some music?"  
Brian nodded, then pulled Roger in for a short hug. "I'll see you soon, yeah?" Roger could just nod and look at the taller man, suppressing the intense urge to stand on his tiptoes and kiss him.   
They each went homewards, Roger with a little skip in his step, and Brian looking happier than he had in quite a while. He really liked Roger, smart and funny and absolutely stunning all at the same time. And a musician, just like him. He decided to shoot Roger a text as he got home.

_Thank you for the great afternoon - Bri_

Surprisingly, Roger texted back just a moment later.

_Loved it too! Already looking forward to seeing you again xx_

Brian closed the chat with a smile, just as John sat down on the couch next to him. "So it went well then?"  
Brian could only nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always beyond appreciated!!!!


	3. White Queen (As it began)

Two weeks later, Roger and Freddie found themselves in the garage Roger was currently storing his drumset in, waiting for Brian to show up. They had wanted to meet earlier, but Roger had to finally pay attention to the deadlines on his paper, and then Brian had left for a few days to visit his parents. Now, Brian was late. Roger was decidedly nervous about it, smoking his fourth cigarette in the last 15 minutes. Freddie had his feet put up on a chair, looking relaxed yet excited at the same time. They had yet to meet, and he had been pestering Roger about him ever since he returned from their coffee date.  
Suddenly, someone knocked against the half-open garage door. "Hey, sorry I'm late, my professor wanted to talk to me after class." Brian stuck his very curly head in the room, smiling at them. "Hey, Rog!" Hey smiled at him, walking over to hug him. "And you must be Freddie?"   
He stretched his hand out for Freddie to shake, who just shot a dirty glance at his hand and leaned in to press a kiss to Brian's cheeks instead.  
"Lovely to meet you, darling!" Brian didn't look fazed whatsoever and smiled broadly. "So, music?" Freddie said, clapping his hands together.  
They got everything set up, with Roger immediately freezing as he saw Brian's guitar. "Is that the one you built?" Brian just nodded and plugged it in, playing a few chords to warm himself up. "Alright then, let's play!" They played a few songs they all knew, Freddie and Roger becoming increasingly impressed with Brian's skill. His playing looked effortless and had a very distinct sound about it, which was very impressive for a 23-year old.  
When they decided to take a break, Freddie nodded at Roger. "Bri?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Wanna join the band?"  
Brian lit up, nodding enthusiastically. "'Course I do! You two are great, we could do some amazing stuff!"  
"Now we only need someone to play the bass I guess...Freddie, don't you want to learn it?" Roger said, already knowing what the older man would answer.  
"Fuck no! I'm a performer, darling, not a bass player! Also, I need to be able to play the piano you twat."  
"Y'know, my roommate plays the bass. He's quite focussed on his studies though, I don't know if he'd want to join..." Brian suggested, already getting his phone out. His fingers flew over the screen as he texted John. Roger caught himself mesmerized at the way his fingers moved, just like he had before when the other man was playing guitar.  
"He says he could come over right now," Brian says, looking up from his screen.   
"Perfect!"

Roger and Freddie had gone outside for a smoke, while Brian had stayed inside to fiddle about with his guitar for a bit.   
"Never knew I'd see the great Roger Taylor crushing on someone," Freddie said with a smile.  
"Well...you do have to admit, he is pretty gorgeous."  
"Oh yes, he is. Not quite my type, but we wouldn't want that anyways..."  
They both chuckled, then smoked in silence for a while, the only noise being Brian doing some wicked improvisation on his guitar.  
"Fred?"  
"Mhm?"  
"I think we can really get somewhere together, the three of us."  
"Of course we can! And we will! Especially if that John is any good." How Roger loved that attitude of Fred's, always one hundred percent sure of what he was doing, or at least pretending he was. He smiled at his flatmate, then hugged him quickly before they went back inside, clapping as Brian ceased his playing to look at them.  
  
Twenty minutes later, another soft knock rang through the small room. "Come on in!" Roger said, quite curious what Brian's roommate looked like. As he stepped in, Rog heard Freddie's quiet gasp. "Hey! I'm John!" The skinny boy, with impossibly tight trousers, long brown hair and a shy smile on his face waved at them, and Roger was sure he had just witnessed Freddie completely speechless for the very first time. Brian smiled at his roommate. "Hey, John! That's Roger, I told you about him," he blushed a bit at that "and that's Freddie!" he gestured at Freddie, who was still staring with his mouth ever so slightly open.   
The mention of his name made him snap out of his trance, and he jumped up to run towards John, pressing a kiss to each cheek and declaring loudly how lovely it was to meet him.   
"Nice to meet you too Freddie" he mumbled, blushing a deep pink colour. Roger coughed awkwardly. "Freddie leave him alone! He's here to play some music with us, not to be assaulted by you."  
Roger could have sworn he had heard John mumble something along the lines of "I'm not complaining". Freddie had heard it too, as he immediately looked at him, a mischevious smile on his face.  
They did, however, end up playing some songs, but every time ROger managed to rip his eyes away from the mesmerizing way Brian was playing, he saw Freddie making heart eyes at their potential new bassist. John was blushing but definitely didn't look opposed to Freddie's suggestive moves. After a good hour of playing some covers, the owner of the place came to knock at the garage, telling them to pack up or he wouldn't let them keep the practice space. A quick look at their phones later, his anger suddenly made sense, as it was past 10 pm already, which the residents of the house next to them clearly weren't happy about.  
"Let's get some celebratory beers, yeah?" Roger suggested, all the others agreeing quickly. They walked to the pub just down the road, with Roger and Freddie quickly smoking a cigarette each on the way down. Brian wrinkled his nose, clearly not too fond of their habit, but didn't comment on it. John, however, stretched his hand out for Freddie's fag, who handed it to him for a drag. Roger definitely noticed the way Freddie's hand lingered just a little too long on John.  
They got their seats in a tiny booth, which resulted in all their thighs being pressed together. Freddie had squeezed himself in next to John, who clearly wasn't expecting all the attention the older man was giving him, who now was asking him all kinds of questions about himself.  
Brian and Roger both chuckled at them until they both got up to get them their pints. As they returned with two glasses each, Freddie and John were still pressed together on the booth, even though they would have had space to sit normally now. Freddie's hand was on the other man's thigh, and John was giggling.  
"Well done Bri..."  
"Oi, I didn't do anything! Not my fault Freddie's so...Freddie!" Brian laughed, sitting back down. "So! Cheers to...well to the band!" "To the band!" they all repeated, clinking their glasses together.  
"We need to come up with a better name though, we can't just be drinking to "The Band" forever!"  
"Well, what should we call ourselves then?" John asked. He had agreed to stay with the band, as long as it didn't impact his studies too much. Which mainly was due to Freddie begging him to please please play with them.  
"How about Stone Cold Crazy?" Roger suggested.  
"No, I've got something better...how about Queen?" Freddie said, with a dramatic gesture of his hand. "Well, it's a grand name and it's outrageous. And darlings, I think that's exactly what we will be, grand and outrageous!"  
They all looked at each other, stunned. "Well, to Queen then!" John said, raising his glass.

"To Queen!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one day...I really don't have anything to do, do I?


	4. Keep Yourself Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen finally get to play their first concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back with another chapter after some holidays. Enjoy!

They got the call when they were all cramped together on Roger and Freddie's sofa, listening to music and drinking some beers. Roger jumped to take the call, picking up the phone excitedly.

"Roger Taylor speaking, hello?"  
The others were quiet, watching him listen to the caller, while his grin turned wider with every second. Joy spread over his face and he started twisting the phone cord around his finger, leg starting to bounce excitedly.  
"Yes, yes, of course, we'd like to do it!"

He sounded as if he was going to burst at any moment and was trying very hard to sound calm and collected.  
"Alright, 8:30 then! Thank you! Goodnight."

He put down the receiver and started yelling before it was even fully put back.  
"We got a gig!" The others stared at him in awe, mouths open before they really realized what he just said.  
"We... we what now?" Brian was at a loss of words, eyes wide with a big smile slowly spreading over his face.  
"We've got a gig. On Friday, actually. At the bar, you know the one, up on Denmark Street!"  
Freddie positively squealed, reaching up to pull Roger towards him for a hug, which ended up with the younger man toppling over sideways to crash over both John and Brian's laps. His head must've hit a painful bit for Brian, as he flinched hard and turned bright red. "Shite, sorry." The blonde scrambled to get himself back up before he was suddenly pulled in by John into a group hug.  
"The first Queen concert...and we will make it legendary!" Freddie said, with a smile on his face to rival Roger's, forgetting to cover his teeth with his hand like he usually did.  
"Now, where is the champagne?"

They rehearsed almost every single day leading up to the concert, making John moan about how he had so much coursework to finish. Of course, he didn't really mean it, but Roger had the definite impression that he was doing it to hide his nervosity about the show. Freddie had gone out and gotten them some outfits each, ordering them which things to bring from their own wardrobe, making sure they all looked like a "proper rock band". He was fully in his element, and they had to stop him from spending too much money on some pieces, that they all thought were truly gorgeous, but their choice was between clothes or food for a month. So, Freddie had to go for some cheaper options, which he definitely complained about, but he promised that one day they’d be ‘rich and famous enough to do whatever we want’.

On the day of the show, everyone could tell John was nervous. He looked slightly green around the nose and had bummed several cigarettes from Freddie, even though he usually stuck to just a few puffs. They had each tried to talk to him, but he just looked at them with his lips firmly pressed together and nodded until they stopped.  
Brian wasn't doing much better himself, having to stop himself from obsessively rechecking his strings and tuning. Roger had downed a shot of whiskey straight and seemed quite calm now, warming up his wrists, a cigarette firmly clamped in between his lips.

Freddie was the one that let the least of his nerves show, as he was bustling around everyone, making them put on clothes and insisting to put "just a little eyeliner" on everyone. In the end, Brian had ended up with quite a lot of black eyeliner smudged around his eyes, but Fred said it suited him and made him look like "a proper lead guitarist and not like some awkward student", so he let it slide. He had even talked John into it, who had even let him blot some red lipstick onto his lips. Freddie had cooed loudly about how pretty John looked, who had never been more flattered and embarrassed at the same time. Brian thought the oldest member was right, John did indeed look quite pretty, especially with the way his long hair was falling and his chest was on show with the half-open shirt he was wearing.

However, nothing could beat how damned pretty Roger looked to him. Their singer had dressed him in the tightest trousers Brian had ever seen on anyone, along with a very sparkly golden jacket, with no shirt underneath. The soft line of eyeliner made his eyes look even bluer, and he was fairly sure he was wearing just a little lipstick as well. He had to stop himself from staring at the drummer, forcing himself to think about riffs and chord progressions rather than the incredibly beautiful man right in front of him.  
John was the one that ripped him out of his trance, plopping down next to him with a cigarette in his hand.

"Alright?" He asked quietly. Brian nodded and shot him a quick smile.

"Alright."

"Okay, Queen, you're on in five!" One of the bar staff came in, smiling at them. "Good luck!"  
Brian and John scrambled up from the couch, grabbing their guitars, making sure they were perfectly tuned. They all looked at each other once they were ready, excited smiles on some faces, slightly panicked looks on others. They hugged each other for good luck, Freddie pressing a kiss to John's cheek which left him blushing like crazy. Roger lingered in Brian's arms for just a second longer than in all the others', which definitely did not make Brian feel a little warm inside, no, that was just the nervousness.  
They walked out together, Roger running to the drum set first, then Brian, then John and then Freddie, who paraded onto the stage as if he'd already won the crowd over, and sure enough, he had.

The second the lights were on and the crowd cheered, Brian's nervousness disappeared. He felt as if he was in the exact right place he was always meant to be as if the universe had suddenly quaked and everything had fallen into place. He could tell by the look on John's face, who was bouncing in his spot, that the exact same feeling had just overcome him as well.  
The crowd was hard to see with the harsh stage lights blinding him, but Brian could definitely make out a few of his fellow students, along with some people that had been to the concerts of his previous band. Everyone seemed almost hypnotized by the way Freddie was moving. He clearly had them all under his control, even though they were just a bunch of rowdy, drunk students.  
"Alright lovelies, this one is called 'Keep Yourself Alive'!"  
Brian was ripped out of his thoughts as he actually had to concentrate on the song for a moment, as to not mess up a song he himself had written.  
This time, Freddie kept close to Brian the entire time. He was playing with him, grinding against him, all while shooting sneaky glances back at Roger. The drummer shot up a middle finger at him between beats, rolling his eyes as Freddie rolled his hips.

At the end of the song, their next one being 'Son and Daughter', Freddie stopped bothering Brian, winking at him before striding over to John. Their youngest member smiled shyly, looking down at his strings while their singer was wrapping himself around him. During Brian's solo, Freddie leaned forwards to press several soft kisses against John's neck, leaving lipstick marks on him. Maybe unsurprisingly, John sighed and leaned back into his touch, face heating up. Suddenly, he plucked a wrong string and immediately removed himself from Freddie's grasp, struggling to get back on track.  
They finished their set after two more songs and left the stage under roaring applause from the crowd. Roger almost bounced instead of walking, obviously thrumming on adrenaline. He immediately jumped into Brian's arms, who shoved at him.

"Roger, you're incredibly sweaty." "I know but we did so WELL!" Brian rolled his eyes and pulled him close anyways. Not that he'd ever admit it, but he had to keep himself from inhaling deeply since even though Roger probably smelled disgusting to everyone else, he smelled just fine to him.

"Okay, get changed drummer boy, we have some celebrating to do!" Freddie came over to ruffle the blonde's hair, then sending him towards their bags with a slap on his arse. John was still trembling, smile plastered to his face. Roger could see the way Freddie was melting while looking at their bassist, elbowing him in the ribs as soon as he was done changing. "You're not being subtle Fred."

"When am I ever subtle darling? Anyways, beers!"

  
They sunk down at a booth with their beers, both exhausted and hyped. Several people had talked to them on their way from backstage to the bar, many of them complimenting them, with a few others hitting on them. Freddie, who had gotten the most propositions, had declined each one with a wink while sneaking his arm firmly around John's waist. John hadn't seemed fazed by any of that and had leaned into Freddie's touch.  
They were still sitting like that, close together with Freddie's arm around John, both listening to Roger who was still animatedly rambling on about the concert. That was until the music changed into something a little funkier.  
"Freddie?"  
"Yes, John?"  
"You want to dance?"  
"Deaky, dear, you know I can't dance to save my life."  
"I don't care."  
And with that they were off, John pulling Freddie towards the already crowded dance floor.  
Brian and Roger smiled at each other, then went back to watching them closely, sipping their beers. Roger lit a cigarette, smiling to himself.  
"Y'know, I saw how Freddie was being with you while you were playing...and I understand, you looked like an absolute god."

Brian, embarrassingly, just managed a squeaky sounding "thanks". Luckily, the other two had unknowingly rescued him from more embarrassment, as they had just started kissing in the middle of the dance floor. John had leaned down, tall as he was in those vintage platform shoes he adored, and kissed Freddie, who had immediately responded by wrapping himself around him.  
"Well, I guess you owe me a twenty then." Brian smiled, nudging Roger.  
He huffed. "Well, I really wouldn't have thought that Deaky'd kiss him first! I mean, it's Deaky!" He pulled out his wallet and pressed a crumpled twenty-pound note into Brian's hand.  
"Please, as if Freddie would've properly kissed him first!" Brian grinned, shoving the money in his pocket. Roger looked at him, and he desperately wanted to kiss that smug smile off his face. So he leaned in and did.


	5. Modern Times Rock N' Roll

As soon as their lips touched, Brian had that feeling of "the world is falling into place" once again. It was a chaste, soft kiss, almost romantic if they weren't sitting in a very hot, sweaty bar, with music so loud that it felt as if the bass was trying to hammer their ears in. They pulled apart quickly as they felt the other two sit down again.  
"Oh please, darlings, don't stop because of us!"  
Freddie was giggling and John had a quite smug smile on his face, his hand around Freddie's waist. Brian blushed and looked away, while Roger grinned and winked at their singer.   
They all headed home after a few more drinks, which Brian paid for with his newly won money. Neither of them was more than a bit tipsy, yet Freddie definitely used his tipsiness as an excuse to cling onto their bassist as they were walking. Brian and John had offered to walk the other two to their flat first, so they were heading towards their place.  
Roger was smoking as they were walking, shivering so hard he was almost dropping his cigarette. Brian pulled him close, taking off the big white scarf he had wrapped around his neck. He quickly wrapped it around Roger, kissing his nose when he was done. Roger's cheeks were aflame, already reddened from the cold and alcohol. Brian had to try very hard to refrain himself from cooing at Roger and kissing him again and again, and by the look on the younger man's face, he wouldn't have minded.  
But deciding that he definitely didn't want the other two to make a scene out of it, he just laid his arm around Roger's shoulders, walking with him pressed to his side.  
They arrived at their flat, stopping outside to say their goodbyes for the night. Freddie had pulled John close and they were kissing, and Brian had to seriously reconsider his thoughts on how innocent Deaky was, as his hand had immediately wandered down to Freddie's arse.   
"Hey." Roger poked him in the side, trying to regain his attention.

"Sorry, just wouldn't have thought Deaky'd be the dominant one."  
Roger let out a snort and a "please..." before his lips were back on Brian's. Their kiss was definitely longer this time, but still quite tame. Their lips moved together slowly, with just a hint of tongue that made Brian's breath hitch.   
A good few minutes passed until they broke apart, but to Brian, it felt like forever and just a second at the same time. The other two were looking at them, seemingly waiting for them to finish. "Alright then...goodnight!" Roger said, leaning up for another quick peck on Brian's lips. Freddie did the same to John, then walked over to kiss Bri's cheek. "Goodnight darlings, you were wonderful."  
"So were you, Fred."  
They waited until the other two were inside, then turned and started walking home.  
"Well...that was quite a night," Brian said after a little while. John looked at him, smiling.  
"It was alright, yeah." Brian snorted, watching as John lit a cigarette which he had sneakily stolen from Freddie earlier.  
"You shouldn't start smoking, yknow?"  
"Oh, I know." He shrugged and took a drag, prompting Bri to shake his head defiantly.

As they entered their home, Brian retreated to his room for a little, while John went to the kitchen to make himself a snack before bed. Bri was laying on his bed, scrolling through his Instagram feed. He'd found himself scrolling through Roger's Instagram once again, admiring the very pretty pictures that Freddie had taken of him, some quite badass, with Roger dressed in leather and sunglasses on, and some just frankly adorable, with the blonde laughing about something, dressed casually, cigarette in hand. He wondered if Roger'd let him take some pictures as well...  
Suddenly, the loud beeping of the fire alarm roared through their flat, making Brian jump and bolt out of his room.  
"What's going on?" He sprinted into the kitchen, where he found John, standing in front of the oven, which was smoking, quite badly. He ripped open the window, then turned off the oven and opened it, careful not to get his head into the cloud of smoke.  
"John, what happened?" He yelled over the insane noise the smoke alarm was producing.  
"Forgot about the pizza I was making..."   
"John that thing is fully black!"  
"I was texting Freddie, alright?" His face was bright red, giving Brian a vague idea of what they had been texting about.  
He rolled his eyes, tossing the black and horribly smelling pizza into the trash. "Try not to burn the flat down, yeah?" Brian shot him a smile, then stretched up to turn off the fire alarm that was still beeping on.

_Bri created "Queen"_

**Bri** : _Freddie could you please not distract John while he's cooking, he almost burned the Flat down - Bri_  
 **John** : _Jeez Bri, no need to write it in a group chat!_  
 **Freddie** : _I'm sorry darling! But I couldn't help myself..._  
 **Bri** : _FRED! - Bri_  
 **Rog** : _Freddie, as much as I'd like to know what you were doin to Deaks, don't drag Bri into this._  
 **Rog** : _Also you don't need to sign every text Bri!!!!!_

_*John changed his name to Deaky*_

  
**Deaky** : _Better._  
 **Bri** : _Anyways - Goodnight. Don't keep Deaky up too long Fred! - Bri_  
 **Roger** : _skskksks gnight Bri xx_

When Brian woke up the next morning, quite late as it was a Saturday, the first thing he did was grab his phone, looking at his messages.

 **Rog** : _Guys look at this!!!!_

He had sent a bunch of tweets by different people, all of them talking about them. Brian scrolled through a few of them, liking the ones that were talking about the concert and the way they had played. He felt a bit awkward liking the ones that were talking about how cute John was, or how hot Freddie was (those definitely being the tamest ones), as well as the ones with pictures someone had snapped of them kissing (although he did save them), so he just ignored those.  
He did however set the picture of him and Roger kissing as his screensaver.   
After a while, he rolled himself out of bed, shuffling into the kitchen for some coffee. It still smelled horrible, the smell of smoke and burning pizza lingering in the small room. Brian chose to reopen the window and otherwise ignore it, making himself breakfast. Just as he was frying up some eggs, his phone was dinging violently.

 **Freddie** : _Darlings we've got another gig! Also came up with bits of a new song! Rehearsal?_  
 **Rog** : _Gig's on Wednesday!_  
 **Freddie** : _They loved us!!!!!! And everyone thinks Deaky is the cutest!!!_  
 **Freddie** : _Just for the record, so do I!_  
 **Rog** : _Gross._  
 **Bri** : _Awesome! Rehearsal tonight? - Bri_  
 **Rog** : _Alright xxxx_  
 **John** : _Roger, why only kisses for Bri??_  
 **Rog** : _Piss off x_

  
Their rehearsal actually went quite well, as long as they didn't distract each other with kisses and the likes. Roger seemed to have claimed Brian's lap as his seat, since every time they sat down, he plopped down on him and refused to get up again. They did however work on two new songs, one of them called "Liar", which also featured John on some vocals.  
"Freddie, I can't sing!"  
"Bullshit!"  
"I really can't!"  
"I don't give a fuck dear, you're gonna sing on this track!"  
Brian and Roger watched that argument from the sidelines, knowing that Freddie could convince John to do just about anything.  
"Alright...but nothing on my own, yeah?"  
"Don't worry dear, you'll have Bri and Rog to back you up!"  
John sighed and nodded.   
"Alright then."  
Freddie pressed a kiss to his cheek, which made John light up. They worked on it for a little, working out the melody and intro, but decided to continue with the next new song as Freddie hadn't finished the lyrics just yet, and thought he'd needed to work on them a little more.  
The second song they'd worked on was called "Modern Times Rock N' Roll", a quite short one that Roger had written.   
"And I'll sing on it!"  
Bri looked stunned. He'd heard Roger sing before, of course, but never lead, only together with him or Freddie.  
"Alright, let us hear what you've got then!"  
Roger's voice was magical to Brian. It was high, raspy, very Rock N' Roll and incredibly hot. The guitarist was pretty sure he'd been staring the entire time Roger was singing, as he was poked sharply in the ribs by John, which startled him and made him realize that Roger had finished.  
"I assume you like it then?"  
"Yeah, yeah I do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, another chapter!  
> I introduced a bit of a group chat situation, I hope you like it?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'd appreciate some kudos or comments, n let me know if I should keep going!


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